Learning is enough of a struggle to children who find it hard to focus. They should therefore never have to look far for the proper tools. Like a busy executive, they need to concentrate on the task before them, and should have anything they need close at hand. There is a closet in our house that looks like the school supply section at Wal-Mart. The boys have tools to stay organized. They have plenty of socks, underwear, and soccer clothes. We have calculators, computers, dictionaries, encyclopedia, rulers, compasses, and even an electric eraser.
I do try to think of my boys as busy executives, and try to be their secretary. (I admit that instead, sometimes I view them as lazy bums, and just try not to toss them out of the house!) If you've ever seen the movie "Sabrina", (and if you haven't, you should!) you know that Harrison Ford never had to search for pencils or coffee or even shirts. Everything was provided for him, and everything was at his fingertips. This didn't mean he was irresponsible or lazy. It only freed him up to do his job, and rescue his brother from the evil clutches of Sabrina.
Although schoolwork isn't near so exciting as a romantic comedy, my children still need the same ready access to the tools of learning. To prepare for this article, I walked through my house and made a list of the supplies we keep on hand. This list can be a springboard for getting supplies ready for your children. Let this list help you as you help your children to help themselves.
Lots of pencils Erasers Pens Markers - wide tip & fine point Permanent markers Highlighters in several colors Zip lock bags - all sizes Protractors Compass Rulers Glue and glue sticks Spray adhesive Scotch tape - wide and thin Duct tape and packing tape Sticky tack Thumb tacks Paper clips Paper fasteners Index cards LOTS of Notebook paper, wide and college rule Notebooks - 1 & 3 subject in both rules- with the THICK cardboard covers Graph paper Graph paper NOTEBOOKS (invaluable for math) Card stock in white and colors Colored computer paper Construction paper
White drawing paper Folders - pocket and prong Manilla file folders Envelopes - including large yellow ones Full sheets of sticker paper Labels Newsprint, bought for $1 at the newspaper office Pencil cases Bookbags (one of the boys broke his yesterday and I was grateful we had a spare) Notebook dividers Looseleaf binders in several sizes Sheet protectors Baby food jars Old magazines - including National Geographic, given away free by our local library Tempera paint Globe Wall Map Atlas Old set of encyclopedias Dictionary Thesaurus Electronic Dictionary - for the short definitions and the easy look up Calculators, some cheap, some not Extra Ink Cartridges Memory sticks/thumb drives
I'm quite aware that this is a LOT of stuff. I spend a lot of money in the fall when school supplies are on sale, and keep my eye open at dollar stores and places like Big Lots for their bargains. No matter what the cost, it's worth the investment. We've been doing the dreaded science projects this past month, and almost everything we needed was already in our supply closet. You're going to buy it anyway. Cut down on the stress and buy it in advance.
Besides, your children are like busy executives, and you must take your cues from the secretary in Sabrina. Just think. If she hadn't prepared his suitcase in advance, Linus would have never been able to beat Sabrina to Paris!
We get a lot of our school supplies from Office Depot. They offer free shipping on orders over $50, so we can order online and get the stuff quickly. We also are able to give you great coupons and deals to Office Depot. Email us at for the latest!
", (and if you haven't, you should!) you know that Harrison Ford never had to search for pencils or coffee or even shirts. Everything was provided for him, and everything was at his fingertips. This didn't mean he was irresponsible or lazy. It only freed him up to do his job, and rescue his brother from the evil clutches of Sabrina.